The present invention relates generally to supporting and/or leveling of outrigger mechanisms that laterally stabilize vehicular machinery and the like, and more particularly to an outrigger pad system for placement between ground and the foot of an outrigger mechanism to improve the grade or slope angle at which the outrigger mechanism is supported.
Outrigger mechanisms are generally utilized to stabilize vehicular machinery with respect to reaction torques which are generated during use of the machinery, or that occurs because the machinery is stationed on or adjacent to a sloped surface. The outrigger mechanisms are extended from the vehicle on which the machinery is mounted outward and downward to the ground or other surface which surrounds the machinery, and the feet of each outrigger mechanism are planted on the ground. When the outrigger feet are firmly planted, the outrigger mechanisms prevent tipping, for example, by effectively increasing the supporting base width of the machinery.
In order for outrigger mechanisms to work effectively, however, the outrigger feet must be firmly planted on a supporting surface. Ideally the supporting surface should also resist deep ground penetration by the outrigger feet, and the supporting surface should be substantially perpendicular to the forces directed through the outrigger mechanism. When the forces are directed downward and away from the machinery as transmitted through the outrigger mechanisms to supporting surfaces under the conditions of actual use, a support surface which slopes upward as one moves away from the machinery is desirable. Conversely, a supporting surface which slopes downward as one moves away from the outrigger mechanism is undesirable, and the force directed through the outrigger mechanism meets the supporting surface at an acute angle that renders slipping more likely.
In the field, of course, a choice of ground working sites in which the surrounding area presents ideal support surface characteristics is not readily available. To successfully plant outrigger feet on the various types of sloping or uneven terrain and terrain that does not resist penetration, a means of improving the support surfaces is often necessary. Heretofore, wooden planks or pads have been used on a make-shift basis as a means of improving the outrigger feet support. The wooden planks or pads are in contact with a relatively large surface area of the support surface, thus relieving the pressure on the support surface and rendering penetration of the support surface by the outrigger foot less likely. When stacked in appropriate combinations, wooden planks and pads can be used to generate extensions of existing support surfaces that improve the angle of support for the outrigger mechanism. The method of using wooden planks has suffered, however, from the general disadvantages that accompany make-shift methods. It has been unreliable in that the proper angle of support can often not be obtained with the particular planks that are on hand. Often, even when the proper angle can be obtained, it can only be obtained by dangerous bridging. It has also been necessary under such make-shift method to carry into the field a supply of various sized planks, which are bulky, clumsy, and difficult to store.